James c



(No Model.) y

Y J.C.ALLEN.

REGLINING CHAIR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

w TNES'SES: 2. @KZZZr WABNING'ON. n. c.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT union.

JAMES C. ALLEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ALLEN (it BROTHER, OF SAME PLACE.

RECLINING-CHAIR.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 51 4,403, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed January 13, 189

2. Serial IIQMLIZQOB. (NomodeL) and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of reclining arm chairs, and its object is the provision of means whereby the back-may be automatically and quickly adjusted.

A chair embodying myimprovemeuts is represented in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described, the particular subject matter claimed as novel being definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View in perspective of a chair embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 a perspective detail of the back adj usting devices.

In the drawings, A are two side or frame bars connected in any preferred manner to constitute the main or seat frame of the chair, and so formed and framed as to also conveniently constitute the hind legs of the chair. In other words, these side bars are disposed at an angle and extend from the upper ends of the front legs A, which are vertical and with which they are connected, backward and downward to the floor. They are conveniently tied to the front legs by horizontal rungs a, as shown. The rungs, however, are not essential.

a are upward extensions of the front legs which form the front supports of the arms B, the latter being preferably slightly curved and extending rearwardly from said supports in parallelism with the side bars A and preferably with a correspondent form or curvature.

a are a series of vertical posts springing from the side bars and serving to support the arms.

O is the adjustable back, conveniently formed of two parallel vertical side members to which the letter C is applied, framed together by horizontal rail bars 0. The back as an entirety is pivoted at its lower portion be tween the side bars A by pivots c which pass through the side bars and into the lower extremities of the lateral members 0 of the back.

D D D are cushions, respectively applied to theback the seat and the arms of thechair; they are, however, not essential.

The adjustment of the back relatively to the seat is effected by tilting it about the pivots e and its maintenance in a given adjusted positionsecu red by the followingcontri vances.

b are segmental slots formed longitudinally in the rear extremities of the arms B. These slots are preferably counterparts of each other,

flat and smooth along their upper surfaces,

and as to their lower surfaces are correspondently provided with a series of approximately vertical notches b of such form as to fit them .to receive an adjusting rod E of a length sufficiently in excess of the breadth of the back to permit it to project on each side beyond the respective arms and at its extremities convenientl y provided with heads or stop buttons 6 to prevent its longitudinal displacement, and permit of its manual vertical adjustment by an occupant of the chair. This red when engaged with correspondent notches in the respective slot-s, serves to support thebackwhich tilts against it and to maintain it in a given position relatively to its pivots and, consequently, to the seat and arms of the chair.

0' are two keepers in the form of loops, applied respectively to the side members 0 of the back as shown, and serving to maintain the adjusting rod close to the back and in the forward adjustment of the latter to draw said rod from notch to notch so that no manual movement of therod is required in the adjustment of the back from its extreme rearmost position to any of its possible intermediate forward positions of adjustment, such action being rendered possible by the fact that the loops are long enough to permit of the rising and falling of the rod, and by the further fact that the notches are formed with intermediate forwardly curved crests b In practice I find it convenient in order to render the slots and their notches more durable, to apply to each arm what I term a notch plate B of metal, Fig. 2, formed with a slot, notches, and intermediate curved crests, correspondent in broadside outline with the slot notches and crests formed in the material of the arms themselves. In fact, in the application of these plates it is unnecessary to form the notches in the material of the arms, although a better appearance is presented by so doing. The plates are preferably conformed to the form of the extremital portions of the arms and are conveniently applied and secured thereto by screws. The rod and keepers are preferably of metal.

As a substitute or mechanical equivalent for the keepers, vertical slots may be formed in the side members of the back and the rod passed through them, but the appearance of the chair is improved by forming the keepers of loops of metal applied as shown.

In the operation of the device the forward adjustment of the back to any desired position can, as explained, be effected by the manual movement of the back without touching the rod. To effect the rearward adjustment of the back the rod is first manually raised so as to clear the notches, the back is then adjusted, and the rod then dropped into the notches which correspond with the selected adjustment.

It is obvious that my invention is applicable to chairs formed with vertical hind legs not being parts of the side or frame bars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. The combination, in an adj ustable-back reclining chair, of a seat-frame supported upon legs and provided with arms which extend rearwardly and at their rearward portions are provided with slots formed with approximately vertical notches,a back pivoted at its lower portion to the frame,a vertically movable adjusting rod extending through the slots transversely of the back and behind it, and keepers for the rod formed in or applied to the back-substantially as set forth.

2. In a reclining chair having arms extendin g rearwardly and at their rearward extremities provided with longitudinal slots and having also a tilting back pivoted to the main frame,plates formed with slots corresponding to those formed in the arms and provided with approximately vertical notches and applied to said arms,a vertically movable adjusting rod extending transversely through said slots to the rear of the back,-and keepers for the rod formed in or applied to the back,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 4th day of January, A. D. 1892.

JAMES C. ALLEN.

In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, GEORGE W. HEINs. 

